Steam-engine.



. Patented Mar. l8, I902. J. A. VIBTUE.

STEAM ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1901-) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

lwvfi/vro Jkn A. Virtue.

WITNESSES:

1m: NDHR'SPETERS co .mmuwa. WASHINGYONJD. c,

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN ANDAY VIRTUE, OF DELPIIOS, KANSAS.

STEAM-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN ANDAY VIRTUE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Delphos, in the county of Ottawa and State of Kansas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to condensing steamengines; and the object ofmyinvention is to greatly increase the efficiency or economy of theengine by providing improved means for obviating back pressure againstthe piston. I attain this object by excluding the air from theexhaust-pipe of the engine; and to this end my invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafterdescribed and then claimed, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, ofan engine constructed in accordance with my invention, thecylindervalve-chest and condensing-cylinder being sectionedon the line a b ofFig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the cylinders, taken on the line 0d of Fig. 1, also showing diagrammatically the connection between thecylinder and the steam boiler, the throttle-valve being omitted Iprovide the usual piston-cylinder 2,mounted on the bed-plate 3. Securedto the piston-rod 4 are two piston-heads 5, at about the same distanceapart as the stroke of the piston-rod. The inlet-ports 7 are controlledby a slide-valve 8 of any preferred type. The condensing-cylinder 9,made in two or more parts secured together at flanges 10, is securedaround the central part of the cylinder 2, so as to be air-tight,suitable packing being employed for this purpose. The steampipes 12 arebranches of the supply-pipe 13, Fig. 2, leading to the boiler 14. Thebranch pipes 12 are connected to the steam-chest 15 near its ends inorder to avoid passing through the condensing-cylinder 9.

The exhaust-ports of the piston-cylinder 2 are composed, respectively,of two series of perforations l6 and 16, arranged in ring form and solocated that an exhaust occurs when either piston reaches the end of itsstroke. These exhaust-ports 16 16 open into SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 695,510, dated March 18, 1902;

Application filed April 22, 1901. Serial No. 56,812. (No model) thecondensing-chamber formed by the cylinder 9. To cool the exhauststeamand hasten its condensation, Iprovide two annular water-pipes 17opposite the exhaust-ports, re-

spectively. These'pipes are secured inposition in any suitable mannerand their inner sides are provided with fine perforations through whichcold water sprays against the exhaust-steam during the operation of theengine. The water is admitted to the perforated pipes 17 by two risers18, connected by a lateral pipe (not shown) connected to asupply-pipe19.

A drain-pipe 20 is connected to some point at the bottom of thecondensing-cylinder 9. This drain-pipe leads preferably to a tank 21,andv from the lower part of the tank a pipe leads to an injector,(indicated at 22,) which injector is also connected to the boiler of theengine in the usual manner. The hot water condensed from the steam incylinder 2'escapes through pipe 20 into the tank, in which itpartiallycools. The injector is operated continuously in orderto relieve thepistons 5 of any back pressure. The tank 21 may be dispensed with if aninjector is employed which will feed hot wateras well as cold.

I connect a blow-0E cook 23 to some con venient part of thecondensingdrum 9 in order that when theengine is started this cock maybe opened for a few seconds or long enough to permit the air which mayhave ontered said drum through the piston-cylinder to be displaced bythe exhaust-steam. The cock 23 is then closed.

While the drawings represent the preferred form of my invention, certainmodifications of detail or arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departing from the scope of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a steam-engine, a piston-cylinder; two sets of exhaust-ports in saidcylinder; each set comprising a series of openings arranged in a ringaround said cylinder; a condensingdrum secured air-tightly around saidcylinder, or around that portion thereof containing said eXhaust-ports,annular water-pipes In testimony whereof I affix my signature in thepresence of two Witnesses.

JOHN ANDAY VIR'IUE.

Witnesses:

M. J. ROBERTSON, FRANK BURNS.

